Vault gas bomb



A. J. MACY VAULT GAS BOMB Feb. l0, 1931.

Original Filed July 6, 1925 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED J'. MACY, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 THE LAKE ERIE CHEMICAL COMPANY, Ol' CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO VAULT GAS BOMB appucaticn niedauiy a, 1925, seriai No. 41,729. Renewed/'Maren 25, i930.

This invention relates to mechanism for releasing a noxious gas into the interior of a vault when an attempt is made to gain forcible entry thereinto.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gas bomb normally sealed, together with means for breaking said bomb and means for normally restraining said first-mentioned means, the latter means being -distributed over the vulnerable portions of a vault or the vulnerable portions of a vault or closure in positions subjecting it to damage or severance upon cutting or burning a hole there through.

Heretofore, supplemental locking means have been provided adapted to be actuated by attempts at forcible entry, and gas bombs have been incorporated with such locks in such a way as to release a noxious vapor upon actuation of the supplemental lock. I have found that under ordinary circumstances a gas bomb alone serves as an effectual protection for vaults, as the noise of discharge serves as an alarm and the gas-filled vault effectively precludes entry for a period to force a burglar to abandon the attempt at entry. An advantage in the use of a as bomb alone is in the elimination of the difficulty of unfastening the suppleloiig enough mental lock when once operated, as the lock is P as effective in barring the rightful users of the vault as in preventing burglary thereof. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a vault gas bomb and bursting mechanism therefor adapted to be normally restrained by a self-contained exible mechanism which may be placed over the most vulnerable parts of a closure. i V

It is also an obj ect of this invention to form a gas bomb as a continuation of a cartridge barrel whereby the burnin gases which propel the cartridge bullet a so serve to expel and vaporize a noxious gas-producing fluid. Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and accompanyin drawings.

he invention, lustrated `on the drawings more fully described.l

in a preferred form, is iland hereinafter This invention may be laced on the walls, and other parts of a vau t enclosure as well as partially built'into the walls, and floor. For clcarness of description the specific embodiment of this invention, chosen for illustration, has been shown as applied to the inner surface of a vault door.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a rear elevational view of a vault door with the device of this invention installed thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section of the gas bomb at the instant of release of the firing plunger.

F igure 3 is a fragmentary section of a portion of Figure 2 showing the normal locked position of the firing plun er.

Figure 4 is a section on t e line IV-IV of Fig: 2.

igure 5 is a section on the line V-V of s shown on the drawings:

A diagrammatic view of the back or inner surface of a vault door 10- is shown in Figure 1 together with the usual locking mechanism 1l therefor. Disposed over the surface of the door is a tube 12 formed of a coiled wire, without spacing between the coils, in order to resist compression, the tube containing a lain wire 13. The tube and wire therein are flexible and the wire is intended to be a free running fit in the tube even when the latter is bent to a small radius. T he free end of the tube at 14 is soldered or otherwise secured to the wire 13 at this point and the other ends of both tubes and wire are fastened to members of the gas bomb shown in Figure 2.

This bomb comprises a sealed iask 15 of glass or the like containing a volatile liquid which when released forms a noxious gas such as the well-known tear gas. This flask is protected from accidental injury by a casing 16 formed of a tube screwed into top and bottom caps 17 and 18, the top cap extending upwardly two or more cartridges 19. The cartridges shown are of the rim re variety so that a and being apertured for es l alsA

circle of such cartridges can be fired by a i block 32 to which the washer l21 which is clamped in position by the tube 22 which serves as-a guide for the frin plun r 23 carrying the pin 20 and whic is dwnwardly impelled by the spring 24.

The trig er or releasin mechanism for the firing plunger is house in the centrally apertured casing 25 screwed to the tube 22 and having an annular groove 26 1n the Wall of the central aperture. This mechanism comprises an elongated cup-like member 27 slidable in the casin aperture and iittlng over a head 28 of reuced diameter on the top of the tiring plunger. This head has an annular groove 29 similar in form to the groove 26 in the casing 25. The cup mem ber 27 is diametrically apertured for a pair of balls 30 of a diameter exceeding the Wall thickness of the cu member so that the balls will project into either the groove 29 or 26 to respectively hold or release the tiring plunger. Mounted above the casing 25 is a second tube 31 serving as a guide for the end of the coiled tube 12 is secured. The wire 13 passes down through this block and is attached to the top of the cu member 27 at 33. A spring 34 is interpose between the block 32 and the casing 25 to place the Wire 13 under tension and the tube 12 under compression, and this spring also serves to permit differential movement of the tube and Wire due to shifting the layout of the tube or from temperature changes without releasing the firing mechamsm.

The operation The disposition of the tube 12 containin the wire 13 over the surface to be protect/eg primarily depends upon the relative vulnerability or likelihood of an attack being directed to particular parts thereof. In a door, for example, an attempt to gain entry by cutting or burnin a hole therein might be directed towards the combination lock or towards one' of the corners of the door so that the tube is passed over such places. 'lhe tube may be held in place by a variety of ways as by ting to various parts of the structure or y means of common pipe staples, or it may be embedded in mortar or concrete where such material is used. The o eration of burning or cutting a hole t rough the closure would necessarily result in me tin the tube and wire or cuttin the same as t e tube and wire are preferab y of a material of the same or lower fusing point as the closure.

Severing the tube and wire from any cause releases the wire which is pulled through the tube by the spring 34. At the same time, the firing plunger spring acts to pull the top of the liring lunger down which carries the cu member 21:?J down therewith until the balls 30 can pop out into the groove 26 in the casing 25 whereupon the ring lunger is entire] freed from the wire 13 and. descends to strik and discharge the cartrid es. The bullet from the cartridges break t e gas bomb an the gases generated by the burning powde serve as an eiicient eJector for the content of the bomb through the aperture providei in the lower cap 18 of the casing, the bullet having electively broken both the top am bottom of the gas flask.A The high gas res sure generated bv the powder has bot a1 expelling and a vaporizing action on the fluit used in the gas bomb thus giving improve( results because of forming the gas flask in closure as a part of the barrel formed by thi cartridge mounting.

I am aware that numerous details of con struction may be varied through a wide ran e without departing from the principles of thls invention and l therefore do not purpose li1n iting thepatent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combmation with a sealed flask containing a noxious vapor of an apertured enclosure therefor, cartri es mounted to discharge throu h said las liring mechanism for said cartridges, comprising a firing plunger, restraining means therefor comprising a sleeve on the ortion of the plunger carrying a plurality oi) balls in apertures .in the Wall thereof, said balls being adapted to normally roj ect into a groove in said firing plunger to ilold the same, a casing for said sleeve having an inner groove adapted to receiveV said balls upon a displacement of said sleeve to ermit release of said firing plunger, and a exible fracturable connection extending beyond said firing mechanism and normally V,holding said sleeve from movement in said casing.

2. In combination flexible enclosing means, flexible means movable therein and secured at one end to said enclosing means, a gas bomb, means for bursting said bomb, and connections between the bursting'means and said enclosing means, said flexible means adapted to permit actuation of said bursting means upon relative movement between said enclosin means and said flexible means. y

3. A. evice of the class described comprising a sealed flask, an enclosing casing therefor, a` cartridge holder mounted in said casing with its discharge opening pointing towards said flask, a firing plunger, a trigger mechanism therefor, and means normall restraining said tri ger mechanism and a apted to release sai trigger mechanism upon severance of the restraining means.

4. A device of the class described including in combination a cartridge discharging mechanism having a barrel, a casing in line with the barrel, a sealed gas liask confined in said casing, and cartrid e holdin means in line with and between the arrel and casing, said cartridge holding means forming a de- J tachable connection between the barrel and casing sustaining the same in line with one another.

5. A device of the class described including in combination a cartridge holding and discharging mechanism, a casing connected in line with said mechanism, a sealed gas ask coniined in said casing and adapted to be fractured by the discharge of a cartridge, and means normally restraining operation of the cartridge discharging mechanism, comprising a lleXible housing member extending beyond the holding and dischargin mechanism, and a tension member in said housing which upon severance releases the cartridge discharging mechanism for operation.

6. A device of the class described including in combination a cartridge/holding and discharging mechanism, a casing secured in line therewith, a sealed gas flask confined in said casing and adapted to be ruptured by the discharge of a cartridge, and means normally restraining the cartridge discharging mechanism comprising a iexible wire connected thereto and extending therebeyond, a housing member for the Wire capable of iexure therewith and normally maintaining the wire under tension, the said flexible wire upon severance releasing the cartridge discharging mechanism for operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name., Y

ALFRED J. MACY. 

